I recall purchasing a refrigerator magnet on my first trip to Ukraine in 2012 that said “Welcome to Ukraine, home of the not-smiling country,” with a stern Slavic grandma illustration. Well, a lot has changed since 2012, including the preponderance of smiles I see (yes, stoicism is typically followed by a smile, if you are patient).
The history of “not smiling” dates back to Soviet times, when Soviet authorities tried to dismiss Western images of “happiness” as untrustworthy, cunning behavior. Yes, the smile was turned upside down in soviet times.
Today, there are tears in Ukraine, and pain aplenty, but there is also defiant joy. And for good reason. Not only did Ukraine repel its invaders in 2022 in what was supposed to be a “three-day special military operation,” but for the last 4.5 years, they have fought mightily and have now taken the fight to ruzzia, giving the sheltered, zombie denizens of Moscow and St. Petersburg a taste of what war has been like for Ukraine for 4.5 years. It’s a goose/gander situation that is long overdue, and one gets the feeling that this historic battle of very clear good vs. evil has finally turned for the good guys.
Thanks to the folks at Memory Steel UA, you can own a piece of history, with tanks made in ruzzia, but recycled in Ukraine, including those disabled and destroyed from the original “special military operation” way back in the early days of 2022. You can get yours at MemorySteelUA.shop, and it makes a really cool gift.
This keychain beats an out-of-date refrigerator magnet any day.
